[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E979]]
              A TRIBUTE TO FALLEN AVIATORS AND ASTRONAUTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 2003

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Fayetteville's Festival of 
Flight, it is with great honor that I rise today to salute the 
courageous men and women who have lost their lives in aviation and 
space. So many explorers ventured into the great frontier of the skies, 
and their deeds of vision and valor should never be forgotten. These 
pioneers of flight achieved remarkable victories and inspired a new 
generation of pilots to brave the endless skies.
  Today I also pay tribute to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly 
solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Driven by pure ambition, Earhart 
explored new distances and re-defined the boundaries of flight. 
Earhart's determination to be the first pilot to fly around the world 
uncovered new possibilities for aviation. Although her plane 
disappeared short of her final destination, Earhart proved to the world 
that air travel would soon be possible.
  I also pay tribute to the brave aviators who accomplished their feats 
during a time when society discouraged women and minorities from 
flying. In 1912, Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to 
receive a pilot's license and fly solo across the English Channel. 
Although many thought she would fail, Quimby's determination to succeed 
landed her safely on the coast of France. Quimby died just three months 
later when her plane crashed at an airshow in Boston. A decade later, 
Bessie Coleman became the world's first licensed African-American 
pilot. When no one in America would teach her to fly, Coleman learned 
to speak French and went to France for flight school. After receiving 
her license, she traveled America as a stunt pilot until her plane 
crashed in 1926. Upon her death, a flying school for African-Americans 
was founded in her honor.
  As aviation grew into space exploration, our nation lost test pilots 
and others who prepared the way, as well as the great crews aboard the 
Apollo I and the Space Shuttles Challenger & Columbia. I salute these 
daring astronauts for their determination to uncover new territory. In 
their search for knowledge of the unknown, these astronauts helped to 
expand America's understanding of the universe. Despite the tragic 
conclusion to these explorations, the crews of the Apollo I and the 
Space Shuttles Challenger & Columbia sacrificed their lives for the 
advancement of exploration and scientific achievement.
  Although the lives of many daring aviators and astronauts were cut 
short, their determination enabled them to accomplish more than a 
lifetime of success. I encourage all to acknowledge these great 
pioneers and honor their contributions to the world of flight.

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